1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reflective color display element that utilizes multilayer film interference. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a reflective color display element. The present invention further relates to an information display apparatus that employs the reflective color display element.
2. Description of the Related Art
The definition of “structural color” is not clearly defined. Commonly, the term “structural color” refers to all color phenomena derived from the fact that properties of light differ according to their wavelengths. “Structural color” differs from pigment colors which are normally perceived as “color”, in that “structural color” originates from the wave-like properties of light.
Specific examples of structural colors are: thin film interference, such as that by soap bubbles; multilayer film interference, such as that by laser mirror reflectors; dispersion effect, which is the reason why the sky is blue; and refraction effects, such as dispersion of colors by prisms. Interference appears particularly often in the natural world, because interference conspicuously increases the light intensity of specific colors.
Presently, some displays have been proposed that employ interference as the color emitting principle thereof, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5 (1993)-281479, and “Manufacture and Commercialization of MEMS Based Displays” M. Miles, 2003 EDEC Conference, New Displays in Development (Apr. 9, 2003).
However, in the method disclosed by M. Miles, the color (wavelength), which is reproducible at a pixel, is fixed, and full color reproduction is difficult. The display disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5(1993)-281479, pluralities of colors are capable of being displayed, by varying the distance between interference layers of display elements. However, because the display elements utilize interference effects of single layers, the reflectance is low.